To think the PoW’s diagnosis makes healthy living seem pointless?

[Notsuretoputit]

I try my best to live heathily (although definitely not fanatical). I try and stay away from ultra processed foods, try and avoid saturated fat, too much meat etc., try and exercise every week. I’ll have the odd takeaway and definitely overindulge on wine, but always try and be mindful of living heathily because so much information is constantly battering me through the radio, media etc. about getting ill from various foods and not exercising.

I’ve recently lost my mother far too young too, so I suppose it’s particularly on my mind at the moment. But then you hear Kate’s diagnosis, who obviously exercises regularly, has the best instructors, best food, best ingredients, best preparation, and she still falls ill, and it all seems a bit pointless.

AIBU to feel this way? I just wonder whether I really should make an effort to watch what I eat and run when I don’t feel like it if really, what will be will be regardless.

Oh yes, and how could I forget my friend who had a stroke at 37. Didn't smoke, didn't drink and played a lot of sports.

No, a lot of it is not genetics.

You are using anecdotes.
Mass studies show the effect of lifestyle.

True - if you avoid treats, you can still get certain diseases.
And also true, you maybe eat a lot of treats and not get certain diseases.

But the more you indulge, the more you increase the chance of getting certain diseases.

What does that show?

Not sure why you think @Notsuretoputit was being rude?

Living well improves your chances if you do develop something and reduces your chances of succumbing to certain illness

Surely this is a no-brainer

Yep. As I said, one of the healthiest people I have known died of a heart attack at the age of 27 completely out of the blue (he was also super laid back and had very little stress in life - I know as we were close friends).

My grandparents lived an extremely unhealthy lifestyle and lived to nearly 90 with no serious illnesses at all.

I’m sorry to hear that. That is far too young.

My mother gave up smoking many years ago but did smoke for a long time. She, like me, enjoyed the fattier meats and fattier cuts but, unlike me, would heap salt onto her food. She used to have lots of fried food too - bacon, sausages, eggs, chips etc. She also never did exercise, although did have a quite active job. Ironically over the last couple of years she’d started eating more fish, going for walks etc., but we know now that was far too late for her heart disease.

It is now a genetic risk for me, and I try and comfort myself by thinking ‘well I run. I eat lots of fish and now eat very little red meat. I’ve tended to try and avoid ultra processed foods for years, so hopefully that will mean I don’t get what she did’.

And then you see healthy living seeming people get diagnosed and it becomes clear that you can’t outrun everything.

I thought she a William are/were smokers, or have I just misremembered that?

This thread clearly shows biases people have - and the inability people have to understand data and to look at the bigger picture instead of personal anecdotes.

I’m going to stop posting all over the thread now but this has certainly been the case for my two cancer surgeries, according to the doctors. (Ironically, being relatively young has also helped me recover quickly too.) Being a healthy weight and fairly fit have been a big bonus for anaesthesia, surgery, and getting back on my feet again afterwards.

More importantly, I simply feel better when I exercise and eat well. Which doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy “unhealthy “ foods too, just not all the time.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7190036/

Have a read of this medical study of a few thousand people, both male and female over several years - with the average age increasing of 7 or 10 years this is why the medical proffession believe leading a healthy life style - and its in 5 sections of what they consider healthy, to be beneficial for living a longer life

I kind of know what you mean OP. I raged for ages when my mum got Alzheimer's despite doing everything recommended to keep mind and body healthy in older age - crosswords, quiz shows, ballroom dancing lessons, healthy diet etc

I suppose that by exercising and eating healthily we give ourselves the best chances and it makes our day to day lives better too with more energy etc

You can't outrun everything.
But you can give yourself advantages.

It might not directly cure cancer, but regular and thorough medical attention, instant investigations and treatment at the first sign of illness, access to all the best treatments without any waiting time, and absence of all the usual stresses around money and logistics, go a lot further towards curing it than the average person gets. Hence why the chances of her not being OK are slim, not zero.

If you had 10 "healthy" people lined up and 1 got cancer at 42 and the other 9 didn't, carried o their lives as normal and 3 got cancer in their 60s and the other 6 lived until 85. Then had 10 people with unhealthy lifestyles, 3 got cancer in there 40s and 3 got heart disease in the 50s, 2 got COPD in their 60s and 1 lived until 85

Would you still think it wasn't worth while having a healthy lifestyle?

I would advocate living the healthiest life you can but one thing I would say ( & I am not a doctor ) that the more we know about diseases the more they are diagnosed. So - it is possible , and any medical people disagree with me , please do ) In the "olden days" or before earlier surgery cancer in younger people would not have been picked up.

In the "olden days" or before earlier surgery cancer in younger people would not have been picked up.

Ive looked through a burial register for 1840 and the vicar/church warden kindly wrote in against each burial what the person had died from. This was a small village, not a town or city. The vicar knew to write cancer next to the cancer patient

Yes it was known when people died of cancer, even in a small village parish in the uk in the middle of 2 centuries ago

I expect we can all think of numerous people we know who seem to live really active and conscientiously healthy lifestyles who have encountered serious and sometimes fatal health issues. That’s because lifestyle is only one factor, and sometimes other factors overwhelm the best efforts of individuals. No lifestyle choices can guarantee you health, but statistically you can improve your chances. No one knows whether in their own case it will make a difference, but it could very well make the difference.

Its definitely worth continuing with your healthy lifestyle because while there are no guarantees, if you let it drop and become unhealthy I can almost guarantee you will see bad effects and even if you remain free of serious illness your life won’t be as enjoyable. Just balance it a bit.

I suppose that by exercising and eating healthily we give ourselves the best chances and it makes our day to day lives better too with more energy etc

^

I'm surprised so many people here think being as slim as Kate is healthy, to be honest. Before people accuse me of being jealous of her figure, I'm slightly underweight (7st 3 at 5ft 3) and to be honest, I admit that probably has impacted my general health over the years. And Kate looks thinner than me.

OP I'm not sure if you seem to have some confusion over risks, or if you just use the wrong terminology. It could be worth reframing the way you are thinking about this.

You talk about prevention, and causes, etc in definitive terms, whereas it's about reduction and increase in risk factors.

eg. Smoking doesn't cause cancer. Smoking can increase your chances of certain cancers. Likewise, not smoking won't prevent cancer, but in most people it reduces their likelihood of developing certain types of cancer.

I didn’t find this at all when I had kids. I found it far less stressful than my job, didn’t get ill and had pretty good sleep after a few months. But then I never felt the need to take spa breaks or MH days when I was childless so didn’t miss them. Where I was lucky was that after my second, I could give up my job for a few years and it was a very happy time. I didn’t really stress about raising them-we’ve done it for thousands of years so how difficult can it be? Modern life and child raising is less stressful now than any other time in history. Obviously I’m not talking about issues like serious childhood illness or conditions, but comforting a sick kid or one that’s fallen over shouldn’t really cause a massive stress response. If I didn’t have kids, I’d find this post pretty scary!

I think you’re getting a hard time here, and I think your views are complicated by your grief. I’m very sorry for the loss of your mother, it’s not easy losing a parent especially when it’s too soon.

The way I’d think of it, is you may well get these diseases. You may well get cancer, or have heart problems or anything of that nature. But, being fit and healthy will give you the best possible chances when you do get these issues. You’ll have a much better chance of fighting them, and keeping them at bay than an overweight chain smoker. You can move your legs, so do so and enjoy your exercise. Make the healthier choices, but every now and then have a lovely treat. Don’t deprive yourself, it’s all balance. X

Both my parents have had cancer in their 60s, never smoked, always exercised and watched their diets and I am so glad they did because if they hadn’t been as fit as they were at diagnosis they might not have even been offered the treatment they were, never mind been given the all clear.
There’s always the element of chance but you can load the dice.

Don’t think healthy living, eating etc will prevent you getting cancer or heart disease. It won’t but what it will do is make you feel good, healthy and it will also protect you by perhaps contracting a serious condition later in life than you would have, had you not looked after yourself.
My Dr also told me that thin doesn’t necessarily = healthy or fit. Being slightly overweight is fine if you eat everything in moderation, exercise in moderation, take time out to relax and get adequate sleep. If you are too thin then your body does not have any reserves to tap into if you become seriously ill.
I am overweight and a size 14 / 5’6” and was surprised to be told that my blood tests were all fine and that I had no inflammation whatsoever in my body. I am nearly 70 so had thought being this size was unhealthy, but apparently no. I rarely eat UPF though. I’m feeling a bit better now about my body image after hearing what he had to say.
Just do everything in moderation and that includes treats.

It can not be reiterated enough that while being slim (obesity has risk factors) is healthy it does not mean you are healthy! You can be slim, average weight and not be healthy. If this thread shows anything it is that we focus so much on appearance and anecdotal evidence rather than facts.